Auxiliary spring switch



March 17, 1970 G. s. HARPER 3,501,606

I AUXILIARY SPRING SWITCH Filed Dec. 16, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet lV\V\\\\\V\\ \\N\ x E m x ezokez s. HARPER INVENTOR Jim/M14, QM, M401, 9M

" ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 s, HAPER 3,5 01,606

AUXILIARY SPRING SWITCH Filed Dec. 16, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORGEORGE 6 HARPER ATTORNEY Match 17, 1970 G. s. HARPER 3,501,606

AUXILIARY SPRING SWITCH Filed Dec. 16, 1965 4 Sheets-Shem 5 GEORGE 8.HARPER IN VE N TO R (Swim/mi, 77206204 772om ATTORNEY March 17, 1970 G.s. HARPER AUXILIARY SPRINGSWITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 16, 1965GEORGE a HARPER INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,501,606AUXILIARY SPRING SWITCH George S. Harper, Cambridge, Md., assignor toAirpax Electronics Incorporated, Cambridge, Md., a corporation ofMaryland Filed Dec. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 514,295 Int. Cl. H01h 9/38, 33/12US. Cl. 200146 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This inventionrelates to a switch and more particularly to a switch for use inconjunction with a circuit breaker.

There are occasions when it is desired to control circuits inconjunction with the condition of a different circuit.

It is an object of this invention to provide a switching arrangementwhich is operated in response to an overload condition in one circuit tocontrol operation of other circuits.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a switchingarrangement which is operated by the mechanism for opening and closingthe contacts of a circuit breaker.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an auxiliary switchfor use with a circuit breaker as aforesaid which is fast acting, small,and reliable.

These and further objects of the invention will become manifest uponreading the following description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the general arrangement of the main and auxiliary switches;

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the switch contacts after the occurrenceof an overload;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view partly in section of the auxiliary switch;I

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view partly in section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the auxiliary switch; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the auxiliary switch in normal position.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the mechanism.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a circuit breaker mechanism comprising a lever2 pivotally and slidably mounted in a frame 3 by a pin 4 secured to theframe and a slotted opening 6 in the lever. A spring 8 is wound aroundthe pin and has a biasing arm 10 acting on the lever and a reaction arm12 acting against the frame to urge the lever toward the positionillustrated in FIG. 2. A link 14 is connected to a current responsivemechanism operated by a preselected current flow through movable contact16 mounted on the lever and contact 18 fixed in housing 20 to open thecontacts as shown in FIG. 2. This mechanism is described in greaterdetail in my copending application Ser. No. 377,993 and is referred tohere merely as illustrative of the invention since the invention iscapable of use with other circuit breakers.

The circuit breaker having contacts 16 and 18 operates as the mainswitch of this invention in conjunction with an auxiliary switchindicated generally by the numeral 22. The auxiliary switch is mountedin the housing 20 adjacent the lever 2 of the main switch and isprovided with an actuator lever 24 in contact with lever 2 in the closedposition of contacts 16 and 18 but may or may not be in contact with thelever 2 in the open position of the contacts. The actuator lever isprovided with an electrical insulating sleeve 26 to insulate it fromlever 2.

The auxiliary switch comprises a metal ring 28 provided with a reducedportion 30 to define a shoulder 31 to provide a mounting in the housing20 and for the proper positioning of the actuating lever relative tolever 2. An insulating body of glass 32 is fixedly mounted in the ringand has terminals 34, 36 and 38 embedded therein.

The terminal 34 is bent at one end to provide a contact 40 and terminal36 is bent at one end to provide a contact 42 underlying contact 40. Theterminal 38 has secured thereto as by welding a support plate 44 havingpaired notches 46, 48 in the edges thereof. A link 50 having a contact52 secured thereto at one end is pivotally mounted in the upper pair ofnotches 46. The lever 24 is pivotally mounted in the lower pair ofnotches 48 and is bent to extend through an opening 54 in link 50. The

lateral edges of the opening are defined by a pair of spaced legs 56, 58and the longitudinal edges 57 and 59 of the opening are defined by thebody portion of the link and a bar portion 60. The lever 24 is formedwith a pair of spaced legs 25, 27 which extend through the lower pair ofnotches to provide the pivotal mounting. Each leg has formed therewith ashoulder 29.

A plate spring 62 shaped as a U is located between edge 57 and lever 24to urge the link toward the right as shown in FIG. 3 to slide the barportion 60 into contact with the plate to limit the movement of thelink. The spring reacts against lever 24 to slide the shoulders intocontact with the plate to limit the movement of the lever to the left.

In operation the contacts 16 and 18 are closed as illustrated in FIG. 1and the lever 24 is urged into contact with lever 2 by spring 62.Contacts 40 and 52 of the auxiliary switch are closed and contacts 42and 52 are open as shown in FIG. 3. On a predetermined overload currentthrough contacts 16, 18 these contacts are opened and assume theposition illustrated in FIG. 2. Lever 24 of the auxiliary switch isurged by spring 62 into the position-shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 to separatecontacts 40, 52 and close contacts 42, .52. The contacts remain in thelatter position until the contacts 16 and 18 are again closed.

Movement of the lever 24 to shift contact 52 produces a toggle action tomove the contact quickly. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the spacing of thepivot portions of lever 24 and link 50 and the shape of lever and linkare such that the contact of the right leg of spring 62 with the link isabove the contact of the left leg of the spring with lever 24. Thisarrangement urges the levers counterclockwise to close contacts 40, 52and urge lever 24 into contact with lever 2. When lever 24 is releasedby lever 2 it is moved counterclockwise by spring 62 until the con-.tact point 66 is moved above the contact of the right leg of the leverwith link 50 at which time spring 62 pivots the link 50 clockwise toclose the contacts 42, 52 and open contacts 40, 52 as shown in FIG. 7.

It is to be understood that certain changes, alterations, modificationsand substitutions may be made in the structure of this invention withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A switch comprising a support of insulating material, a pair ofspaced terminals extending through the support and bent at adjacent endsto define a pair of vertically spaced contacts, a third terminal spacedfrom said pair of terminals, a plate secured to said third terminal andprovided with an upper and a lower pair of notches in opposite lateraledges, a link provided with an opening in one end and a contact on theother end, the terminal and plate extending through the opening with theopposed lateral edges of the opening loosely mounted in the upper pairof notches for pivotal movement therein, a lever extending through theopening between the plate and a longitudinal edge of said opening, saidlever having a pair of spaced legs and a shoulder on each leg, said legsbeing loosely received in the lower of said pair of notches for pivotalmovement therein, and a spring pivotally mounted on the lever and onsaid longitudinal edge urging the shoulder on said legs into contactwith the plate and the other longitudinal edge of the opening againstthe plate.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with a main switchhaving a fixed contact and a movable contact, said lever being coupledto said movable contact of said main switch for movement therewith.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sup- 10/ 1949 Kaminky.2,655,575 10/1953 Wallace et al. 335-12 X 2,905,785 9/ 1959 Quinn.2,961,510 11/1960 Baird 335-43 X 3,178,528 4/1965 Panicci et a1.3,317,865 5/1967 Harper et al 33512 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,144,362 2/1963Germany.

ROBERT S. MACON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

